Divergent Worlds
by piicaros
Summary: What happens when the royal family of Eric, Ariel, and Melody travel to France for royal business and Melody captures the attention of the captain's son, Zephyr?
1. First Glance

**Well, when I was in a roleplay group and roleplayed Melody, her love interest was Zephyr from the Hunchback. Ever since then, I've always been caught on the idea of them having a romance and it'd be amazing and all because she was a princess from a different country and he'd only be a captain's son and...yeah. So I thought I'd write it down and put it out to get it out of my system. So enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Little Mermaid or Hunchback of Notre Dame.

**Summery:** What happens when the royal family of Eric, Ariel, and Melody travel to France for royal business and Melody captures the attention of the captain's son, Zephyr?

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><p><strong>I<br>First Glance**

"Are you sure you didn't forget anything?"

Melody sighed underneath her breath at her mother's question. She had already been asked this at least three times prior to this time. Each time by her mother. "Yes, mom. I'm sure. Can we go now?"

That was one thing about heading away on royal business: the luggage. If she could, Melody would just snap her fingers and move everything from point A to point B, simple as that. Unfortunately, her grandfather's triton was underneath the sea so using an easy way out was definitely not in the picture. But deep inside, the princess felt as if packing and lugging everything around was kind of worth it - all because of the destination.

France.

The country had always fascinated Melody. The people, the language, the culture and buildings. From the books she'd read and the tales other people around the palace told, it seemed one of the most beautiful places to visit. Unfortunately, she had never been. Her parents hadn't exactly let her out of their sight she was a baby - though there were times their watchful eyes failed - and it went without being said that she probably wouldn't be able to visit anywhere, especially out of the country, on her own. Especially after the whole fiasco when she was twelve with the evil half-octopus witch Morgana. But that was another story.

"Darling, she's right. We need to get a move on if we're going to make good time," her father came to her rescue.

She didn't believe her father aged at all during the span of four years - not physically anyway. The same went for her mother. Ariel and Eric still looked as if they could pass for their twenties or very early thirties at the most.

Usually, Melody disliked his habit for being on time, which involved pushing the women in the family to get ready faster. This time she appreciated it more. Maybe it was because it was the first time for her as well, but her mother seemed somewhat nervous to leave their home. Maybe it was because they were traveling by land, though, you'd think she'd be used to it by now after so many years on land.

Ariel sighed, nodding her head once. "You're right," she agreed. It took less than a minute before Eric had his wife inside the carriage and started ushering Melody in.

There was a couple different reasons why the royal family had decided to make the trip to France in a carriage. Space was not one of them. It was just a good thing her mother - as well as herself - hadn't worn any of those gigantic ball gowns that no one could get within five feet of. However, scenery was one of the reasons. Not just for Melody, but for Ariel as well. Neither of them had ever seen beyond the kingdom boundaries, on land at least. It was supposed to be a new experience for them both.

She had been warned, of course, of how long the journey was going to be. That didn't mean she was prepared for it. About halfway through, Melody just wished she had turned down her parents offer to tag along. She could have been in her own comfy bed or out in the sea, not cramped in a carriage with her parents. The view outside the window was beautiful, of course, but she didn't just want to see it. She wanted to be out in it, away from the small area she was confined in. The inns they stayed at had been nice enough, though, and Melody found each time she had a harder time letting go of the comfort of the soft bed she had been sleeping in.

So it wasn't a big surprise that, when they finally arrived, Melody was the first to jump out, taking in a huge gulp of air of freedom. The footmen clicked their tongues gently, but they were more than used to it. She didn't like to have to wait for someone to open the door for her before she could escape, no matter if it was a short journey or a long one like this one had been. Getting out on her own, it made her feel as if she still had some control over her life.

"Melody," Ariel's voice broke through to her. It was a soft reprimand but Melody already knew before she even turned around that her mother held a soft smile on her lips while she exited their confines, Eric right behind her. They seemed to take a moment to stretch themselves before anything else.

"Sorry," Melody couldn't help the small giggle that escaped from her own vocal chords. "I just needed out of there."

Ariel nodded, stepping forward to her daughter and tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "Trust me, I know." She chuckled.

Before Melody could respond, a voice broke through, one unfamiliar to all three of them and full of authority.

"Your Highnesses," it said. "Welcome to France."

Melody turned towards the direction in which the voice had spoken. She had been right on the authority part. It was a man, flanked by two other men who were obviously soldiers or guards. The one who had spoken, however, definitely had more rank than they did. His armor was a completely different color - it almost looked as if it were made out of gold. His face was serious, but it wasn't so hard. It was clear, by the kindness in the eyes and the laugh lines around them, that this man wasn't a cold person or someone who didn't laugh at all.

Eric stepped forward, nodding his head once. "Thank you. And you are...?"

"Captain Phoebus of the Guard, sir. I'll be the head of your security during your stay. I'm going to make sure nothing happens to you or your family." And he sounded like he sincerely meant it. Melody decided she liked him already.

Eric broke a smile, nodding his head again. "Well, I'll trust you to that, Captain. You seem like someone I can trust."

The Captain mimicked her father and let a smile of his own show. "Trust me you can, sir." He unclasped his hands from his back and stepped to the side. "Now, if you'll follow me, I'll lead you to where you'll be staying. I'm sure you all need a stretch of the legs so I suggest walking there? It's not too far from here."

It was Ariel who spoke this time. She came up behind Eric, looping her arm through her husband's and smiled at the captain with a nod of her own. "A walk sounds perfect. Come on, Melody," She threw the last part behind her where Melody was.

Melody trotted along behind her mother with the other two soldiers falling in behind her. It was casual, but the gesture clearly said to her, and anyone who saw, that they were the bodyguards to this family. She had planned on running off and at least trying to find some places around the city, but that plan clearly went out the window. Her eyes did pan around, however. She took in every sight, every smell, every sound. It was all so new, so foreign to her. The Captain had spoken to them in a language they understood but, out in the city, she realized everyone was just speaking french. It made her regret never taking one class on the language.

It wasn't until she almost tripped over a crack in the road did Melody realize she hadn't been paying much attention to where she was going. The soldiers tried to extend their hands to her to help but she merely waved them off with a 'No, thank you.' The blue eyes she had inherited from both her parents raised and she caught herself looking into another pair of eyes. Ones she didn't know. Ones that belonged to a male.

He looked young, around seventeen or eighteen maybe, nothing too older than she. His hair was a golden color, looking much like a halo in the sunlight. His eyes were blue as well, though a different shade she couldn't name off the top of her head. His hand raised in a wave to hers and when she returned the gesture, his mouth twisted into something between a smile and a self-satisfied smirk.

She couldn't help but allow her lips to slowly move upward in a smile to return. Then her mother broke through.

"Melody! Hurry up, sweetheart!"

She broke eye contact with the boy, looking up ahead to where her mother was a few feet away and going even further. The soldiers had been kind enough to wait for Melody and stand behind her. She turned back to the golden-haired boy, half-expecting him to have disappeared already. He was still there with the smile still on his lips. He inclined his head towards her before turning away, whistling a tune and walking away.

Melody had to jog to catch up with the rest of her family and the chat they were having with the Captain. She was anything but interested in that. In fact, she was probably more interested in whoever the boy had been.

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><p><strong>Reviews always make me feel good. :)<strong>


	2. Welcome to Paris

**II  
>Welcome to Paris<strong>

The sights of Paris were more than Melody could have asked for. They were breath-taking, extraordinary. She'd never seen anything like it. Nothing at all. They were so much different than the sights back home. It seemed like, possibly, there were more people bustling and hustling all over here than back in Denmark. Then again, Melody was never really outside the palace walls much unless it was to the ocean next door. Either way, the whole experience here was completely foreign to her.

There was always people on the street, even at the early hours of the morning. Today, it seemed, especially. There was even more people up and bustling around. There was more chatter and noises of life on the streets - and there were decorations being put up.

"What are they doing?" Melody threw the question at Captain Phoebus. It was always either he or one of the other two guards she had met that first day that always accompanied her when she wanted to explore the city. Never did they let her go out alone or leave her out of their sight. At least, not the other two. The Captain had confided in her that he knew what it was like, having a son himself, he knew his own son didn't like being watched at all times and she probably didn't either.

The decision she had made earlier about liking him proved itself more and more at that moment.

"They're preparing for the festival," he explained, walking alongside her in the street. "The Festival of Fools, that is. It happens every year. It's a big deal and, well, it does get a bit crazy." He threw a smile at her and chuckled.

Melody's eyebrows furrowed, "Festival of Fools? What's that about?"

"A yes-is-no-and-no-is-yes kind of day. Everything is, well, upside down. A king is a peasant and a peasant is a king. Everyone has lots of fun with it, really. It's the one time - they claim - a year that everyone can just go crazy and, trust me, they go crazy."

"And that's today?"

He chuckled. "No, it's tomorrow...or the day after tomorrow. I can't exactly say which."

It was at that moment that, before Melody could ask another question, an interruption occurred. She had no idea what was going on, seeing as everyone was speaking in French. All she knew was what she saw before her - two men had emerged from a local pub, one large, the other tall and people had crowded around them. The men seemed drunk out of their wits and were throwing badly aimed punches towards each other.

"Excuse me, Princess," Phoebus didn't even look at her - or wait for an answer - before jogged over to the scene of the fight.

"Pretty pathetic, isn't it?" A voice sounded by her ear.

Melody was sure a form of a gasp escaped from her lips as she jumped, turning in that same moment to face the voice. Another gasp threatened to escape when she noticed who it was, though, she held that one in. It was the same boy from the other day, the one with the half-smile, half-smirk. The one whose blue eyes had looked straight at her.

"I-I wouldn't know. I can't understand them," She didn't know what else to say except just to go along with it.

One of his eyebrows went down, his head cocking to one side, causing his blonde hair to fall into his eyes though he made no attempt to move it out the way. "You're in Paris and you speak no french whatsoever?" His smirk was pulling his mouth up to one side.

Blood rushed to Melody's cheeks. She straightened up, lifting her chin and crossing her arms across her chest. "Just because you can speak both languages doesn't mean you have a right to go around bragging it in people's faces."

A chuckle. "It's not like I can really do that everyday. Everyone here basically only speaks the one language. My father taught me to speak the other I just never had a chance to practice much. Until now." He smirked.

His finger pointed towards the fight that was still going on and Melody turned her body halfway to see how it was progressing.

"I can fill you in however," before she could answer, he kept going. "It seems as though Husky here has a girl. Giant, there, seems to be messing around with his girl for a while now. They're best friends so you can see where the problem would lie." He stopped for a moment. Melody turned back to look at him, only to see the pause had only been to listen because he started speaking again. "Apparently, the girl is pregnant and they're not sure which is the father. Up until now, Husky thought it was his until he found out about this. Because they were drunk, of course. Like I said, pathetic, really."

Melody blinked. All that drama? She never really thought on how these were actual real people, people like back home. She had always just seen everything in Paris as a whole, not really the individuals.

"That's a lot going on," she commented, looking back and seeing that Phoebus had already broken things up and was seeming to give a good warning to the pair because the look on their faces seemed to have sobered up some.

"Welcome to Paris, Princess Melody,"

Her head whirled to face him, shock on her face. "H-How do you know my name?"

He chuckled again, sending her a wink that caused blood to flow to her cheeks in a blush without her consent. "My-"

"Zephyr!" _So that was his name, _the boy's face lost some of its humor.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with your mother?"

Melody recognized that voice. She turned, seeing the flash of gold out of her peripheral vision before she actually focused and her eyes widened in the slightest. It was Phoebus.

"She's fine. She has Clopin with her and they're right around the corner. Besides, you know as well as I do she can care for herself -"

"That's not the point here," He had a different tone about him, the Captain. He had a tone of authority still, yes, but there also seemed to be something...parental in it? "The point is you still need to be at her side. You know as well as I how the city can be. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Father."

Melody's mouth fell open. _Father_? This was the Captain's son? And the mysterious boy was the son of the Captain? She closed her mouth quickly, discreetly taking a step or two back and let her gaze fall onto the floor. Obviously this was a family matter, one she shouldn't be eavesdropping on. Though, they were still close enough for her to hear so her movements had really been for nothing at all.

Phoebus' head nodded once before he clasped a hand on his son's shoulder. "Good, now, go along back to your mother. I'm working and I have to -" It seemed as though he had just remembered about Melody and turned his head, focusing his gaze on her. Her own eyes looked up, hearing his sentence cut off. Something clicked in his brain because he looked back at his son.

"And you're disturbing the Princess as well? Zephyr -"

"He wasn't disturbing me," Melody spoke up. She felt as though she needed to stand up for him, to tell the truth. Because, in fact, he wasn't bothering her in the slightest. If she was being honest, the way he acted and spoke actually intrigued her. And, if she was still being honest, she wanted to spend more time with him. The only people of the male species she had ever really encountered were also in royal families and, well, they mostly had sticks shoved up a word a Princess should never repeat. There had also been that one merboy, but after the wall had been taken down, she hadn't seen him again.

Phoebus gave a look to Zephyr that probably said _did you tell her to say this_. Melody spoke again, "Honestly, he's not a bother."

The Captain gave her a long look before turning his eyes back onto his son. A sigh passed through his body before he nodded again, giving him a squeeze on the shoulder. "Alright, you're off the hook for now. Go on before your mother starts to worry. You know how she gets."

Zephyr mimicked his father's nod, focusing on Melody after he had been released. "Au revoir, Princess," he wasn't mocking or smirking anymore, just a face with seriousness. He bowed and it was only then that the Princess saw the trace of a smile.

"Until next time then," He stood straight up and this time he did smirk. Melody couldn't help but wonder when it exactly they would meet again.


	3. How Were They

**III  
>How Were They?<strong>

"Melody, sweetheart, are you alright?"

The question brought the head of the princess up to look at who had spoken.

Ariel had her blue eyes - soft and kind as they always appeared - trained on her daughter. As far as appearances, went, Melody seemed to take after mostly after Ariel. The same face build, the same features; eyes didn't count because both her parents had blue eyes so it was obvious she would have them. Her hair, however, had turned out dark like Eric's and it seemed she took on the shyness of her father and the stubbornness of her mother.

She really was a fair mix of both of them.

Melody blinked, nodding her head once. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Ariel pursed her lips for a moment. "I don't know, darling. You've seemed a bit off since you came home from town. Is everything okay? Are you homesick?"

Melody smiled at her the worry in her mother's tone. However, she was right. Ever since she had come back home, after she had discovered who the boy - Zephyr, as she now knew - and who he was, she had been thinking about him. Maybe a little too much. He seemed to know about her, her status, even her name - though that was easily explained by the fact that he was the Captain's son. And she knew pretty much nothing of him. She wanted to believe the only reason she was thinking about him so much was that he intrigued her, though that wasn't a hundred percent true.

"Mom, I'm fine. Really." She added a grin in at the end to assure her.

Ariel reached over, tucking a strand of dark hair behind Melody's ear and pursed her lips again before nodding and offering a small smile of her own. When her mom smiled, Melody could see why her father had fallen for her when she had no voice. It was the kind of smile that made you feel like you were the only one she cared about and showed just how youthful she was. Her mother was beautiful, that much was plainly obvious. Her skin was a pale that contrasted beautifully with the red hair she had inherited naturally and her eyes seem to draw you in.

"If you say so. But if something's ever wrong, anything at all, you talk to me, okay?"

Melody nodded, patting her mother's hand gently. "Don't worry. Everything's fine." She smiled again to reassure her.

Ariel seemed convinced enough and nodded her head, her smile growing and the dimples in her cheeks showing as she returned to the plate of food in front of her.

The room they had dinner in was a room that was obviously made to accommodate people of higher status and class - like them. Just like the place they were residing in for the moment. It was a comfy manor that was tucked away in one of the quieter and nicer parts of France. Parts that didn't have too many shops around like the heart of the city so not much went on around. This was why Melody liked going out into 'town' as she and her parents had been calling it because it seemed as though the two places - though connected - were two distinct places.

But this place they were in was a manor and that meant everything was what Melody was used to. Comfortable and big chairs, dining areas with a table big enough for eight or so people. The rooms were located on the upper level with a winding staircase that held a balcony right above the living room area. It was beautiful to say the least.

"Mom, Dad?" She asked, lifting her head up towards her mother again. Ariel met her gaze, her eyebrows lifted as a signal to keep going. Melody licked her lips. "Did you know the Captain had a son?"

Eric raised his head to face his daughter and nodded his head. "He's mentioned it to me once. I think he told he was a year or so older than you." He recounted. "Why?"

Melody shrugged, "No reason."

Eric raised his eyebrows at the same time Ariel tilted her head to the side. "You wouldn't have mentioned it if it was nothing." She gave one of those smiles that mothers always sent and gave you the feeling they knew what you were thinking about even if they probably didn't half the time.

"It's just, well, I met him today."

"Oh," Eric said, leaning back in his chair. "Did you? How was he?"

"He's a nice boy," was all Melody managed because that was all she could really think to answer. What else did she truly know about him? That he smirked around her all the time and had an air around him that he was so confident about himself and knew more about her than she about him? She mentally shook her head. That wouldn't do.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're making friends." Ariel commented. It was that sentence that sent Melody reeling. Even if she did become friends with this boy she wasn't going to be here for long. She would be leaving soon and who knows if she'd return soon.

**D.W.**

"Where did you run off to today?" Esmeralda questioned while putting the dishes of that night's dinner away after cleaning them.

"I told you already. I was only right around the corner." Zephyr answered her, helping her put away the last of it before leaning his back against the counter he had ended up at.

"Then what was all that with your father this evening?"

It seemed even the Princess couldn't have helped him get fully out of trouble. When Phoebus had returned home from work, he had a small lecture with him about, not only running off without telling his mother, but also about getting so close to the Princess, no matter what she had said. _"These people are important,"_ he had said. _"We need them to like us and we don't need your cocky self scaring their daughter off, do we?"_ He had a joking tone when he said that, but it was obviously he also held some seriousness about it.

"Nothing, I told you. I just talked with the visiting princess is all." He confessed. It seemed his father hadn't even told his mother yet.

"Princess Melody from Denmark?"

"Well, there's not really any other visiting princess, is there?" He teased, a smirk pulling the corner of his lip up while Esmeralda used the dishrag in her hand to playfully slap his arm.

"Don't smart talk me, mister." She grinned at him.

"Ouch, I think you might have left a bruise." He rubbed at his arm, pretending it hurt.

"Oh, don't be such a baby. Now, how is she?"

Zephyr shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest lazily. "She's alright. She doesn't really know much french - which I find amusing. She seems to have spunk. And she's very pretty." He added.

Esmeralda turned to look at her son, a smirk similar to the one her son wore often appearing on her lips. "Very pretty, huh?"

"Very," he added nonchalantly.

She held her smirk and shook her head lightly.

"Don't be getting any thoughts. If there's suddenly a restraint on you, I'm not getting you out of it." She told him, ruffling his blond hair on her way out the kitchen.

Zephyr laughed, watching as the head of raven-colored hair that belonged to the woman that birthed him left the room. Sometimes he wished he had gotten her looks. She had that dark complexion that made her a beauty rare to find and her hair was so dark that it seemed to catch the sun's light and shine all the time. He'd been stuck with his father's light skin - like almost everyone else in France. His eyes, however, were eyes he was proud of. While everyone else had regular light blue eyes, he seemed to have those dark blue eyes that seemed almost like sapphires sometimes.

"I'm too good-looking for a restraint!" He called back, a moment too late he realized and then shrugged it off. He went to bed that night, the thoughts of the princess - Melody - and his mother's words still swirling in his head. Melody was a princess. He was nothing more than a Captain's son and the son of a Gypsy as well. The best would probably be to stay away from her. Though, he wasn't too sure he wanted to.

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><p><strong>Wow! It seems more people have been checking this story out. You have no idea how good that makes me feel. :) As always, reviews are welcomed and hopefully the next chapter will be up soon!<strong>


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